Escape The Shadows
by Kenna Monster
Summary: Emery, Thor and Loki's younger sister, has freed Loki and ran away to earth to flee punishment. Now the avengers and her brothers must work together to find her and keep her out of trouble.
1. Chapter 1

Emery sat on the balcony railing watching the sunset, her feet dangling over the edge. She had just finished a hard training session with Thor and was relishing the moment of peace when she heard footsteps behind her.

"You should be inside, studying," Odin said as he stood beside her. Emery sighed, biting back her retort. She was hot and tired, and didn't feel like arguing with the All-Father at the moment. He was a lost cause in her mind, impossible to ever convince that she could fight just like her brothers. Odin would rather have his youngest and only daughter kept away from all of that.

"Your mother tells me you skipped all of your lessons today," Odin said, watching Emery. Her face reflected the fading sunlight, her short red hair pulled back in a small pony and revealing the set of tribal tattoos that ran down her spine.

"I had better things to do," Emery replied, hoping her father wasn't in an argumentative mood.

"Such as?" Odin asked.

"Training with Thor," she admitted. "And visiting Loki."

"I told you to stay away from him," Odin said, crossing his arms over his chest. "He's a war-criminal and a prisoner of the high council."

Emery looked down at her hands, knowing it was useless trying to argue with her father. He saw Loki as just another criminal, someone who dared to break Asgardian law and needed to be punished for it. Emery saw her older brother quite differently.

"I think I'll go to bed," Emery lied, turning and jumping down from the balcony railing and heading inside. She felt her father's stare follow her through the gold doors and into the main hallway of their house, but she ignored it. She knew what she had to do, and she was prepared to deal with the consequences.

* * *

The guards tried to stop her when she entered the prison, the building below the ceremony chamber that housed all of the relics of old wars and the criminals her father deemed to dangerous to be among the rest of the population, but she simply swept their legs out from under them and knocked them both senseless.

Loki was the only one in the prison at the time, but Emery remembered others that had been kept there for a few days for some petty crimes. It was a strong deterrent against further crime though, knowing that the All-Father had no qualms about locking away his own son.

Emery walked down the long hallway lined with cells and trophy stands that held the many wonders her father or the great kings before him had gathered during their conquests. Finally, she stopped before a cell and sat down on the floor, crossed legged.

"I would think father would stop you from visiting me," Loki said, sitting up from his bed. He looked tired, dark bruises under his eyes revealing just how straining it was to be kept locked away. "And two visits in one day. I feel popular."

"You know father, always thinks he knows best," Emery replied. "He and mother have already planned out my future, and it's a future I do not want."

"Ahh yes, the youngest Odin child doesn't like being told what to do. Tragedy, really," Loki sneered.

"If that's how you're going to be, I can just leave you to your thoughts," Emery threatened as she stood up.

"Now that's more like it," Loki said, smiling at her. "It isn't every day you see rebellion in our own household."

"I guess I just have a good example to follow after," Emery teased.

Loki's smile faded, and he looked down at his hands. "Don't become like me. You have no idea where your actions might lead you."

"Everyone needs to stop telling me what to do!" Emery yelled, slamming her fist against the glass barrier that stood between her and Loki. Loki looked up at her, surprised at her sudden outburst. "I'm sick of it! I refuse to continue to live in Thor's shadow, in your shadow. I'm going to start making my own decisions, and no one can stop me." She turned her back on him, thinking hard.

Loki stood up. "Emmy, please consider what you're saying. Once you start down this road, there's no turning back."

Emery turned to face him, smiling. "Isn't that the point, brother? I don't want to stay here forever. I don't want to be father and mother's perfect child." She pressed the button on the side of the wall, and the glass melted away. Loki slowly walked forward, freed from his cell. He looked at Emery, unsure what her next move was going to be.

"I'm going to earth," she said, turning around and grabbing his scepter from the stand where it had been resting. Before he could stop her, she slammed it into the floor. Energy began crackling, blue light escaping from the shard of the sphere that was used to borrow the scepter.

"Goodbye brother," Emery said, feeling the pull of energy as it began to suck her into the portal that would take her to earth. She thought she heard Loki yell her name and reach for her, but before she could do anything she was racing through the portal. There was a bright flash of light and then she landed, falling forward onto her hands and knees. She looked around, her vision graying out. The last thing she saw was another flash of light before she lost all consciousness.

* * *

The loud music told Thor that he was in the right place. As the elevator doors opened and he walked into the room, he hoped his teammates would be understanding of his situation.

Tony was showing Bruce a new prototype weapon he had been working on for SHIELD, while Pepper and Steve sat at a nearby table playing cards. Everyone was surprised to see Thor.

"Hey big guy, wasn't expecting you," Tony said, mildly surprised. "It isn't every day that the god of thunder shows up at your house."

"There has been a problem at Asgard," Thor said.

"What did Loki do now?" Bruce asked.

"It wasn't Loki," Thor replied. "Our younger sister Emery freed him then fled to earth using his scepter. Both are now here somewhere, and I require assistance finding them."

Tony whistled. "Wow, I love your family."

"Watch how you speak," Thor threatened. "Emery is young and doesn't realize the consequences of her actions. She's always been close to Loki, and I fear he has convinced her to help him."

"I'll call the team," Steve said, standing up.


	2. Chapter 2

Emery groaned, shifting slightly. Her chest burned, each breath ripping through her bruised lungs and constricted ribcage. Blinking slowly, she looked around. She was lying on the floor in a large warehouse, the night sky dark through the windows.

Trying to sit up was almost impossible, and she nearly blacked out as her vision swam. Finally, her fists clenched at her sides, she forced herself to stay conscious and figure out where she was. The scepter was nowhere to be seen, but she didn't have the energy to worry about that at the moment.

Rising unsteadily to her feet, she looked around. The room appeared empty, just a few boxes and crates pilled haphazardly. A flash of lights and muffled shouting could be heard and Emery began shuffling towards a nearby door, wrapping an arm around her side to help hold her ribs in place. It offered a small amount of comfort, but she knew she was hurt and wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight until she had healed.

Slowly she opened the door and peeked out, shocked at the sight before her. A group had gathered around something, but it was the members of the group that surprised her. A green monster, a man with a large bow and a woman with two guns, a man in a metal suit, and another man in a blue outfit with a large shield. They were all looking down at something, and it wasn't until the monster shifted that Emery got a clear look at what they were seeing.

Loki was lying on the ground, not moving.

"We need to find the girl, she shouldn't be far," the metal man said. Emery shrank down to a crouch behind a crate, ignoring the way her ribs screamed in protest. She watched as the red headed woman knelt beside Loki.

"We need to get him to a doctor," she said.

"I'm not looking forward to telling him his brother is critical and his sister is still missing," the man with the bow said.

Emery considered her options. She could come forward, let the Avengers take her in, or she could run. She wouldn't be able to hide forever, but at least it would give her a chance to see more of Midgard before Thor took her home.

Taking a deep breath, she turned and gathered what little strength she had, scurrying around the side of the warehouse and away from the Avengers. She scratched her head where it had been itching for a while and pulled her hand away, alarmed when she saw blood. She wasn't healing, not like she would in Asgard. She was too far away from Odin's power. She really was on her own.

* * *

"He's got a concussion, but apart from that appears fine. We'll have to keep him under observation just to make sure," the doctor said to Director Fury.

"Make sure you observe him from his cell," the Director said. The doctor nodded and the director turned, not surprised to see Thor leaning in the doorway.

"So how is it your little sister breaks Loki out of prison, takes his scepter, and the two escape to earth?" the Director asked. "I thought you came from a semi-normal family of gods."

"Emery…has been having a hard time lately. Our parents were greatly upset by Loki's disobedience and attack on Midgard, and have begun treating her like she has the potential to do the exact same thing. They refuse to let her leave our home without a guard, and I fear Emery is just as much like me as she is like Loki. None of us like being told what to do."

"So your sister's upset at your parents and decides to run away and have a crazy weekend. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal, unless she's a god with unknown powers," Director Fury said, watching Thor.

Thor smiled, turning and walking beside the Director. "She's fast. Faster than me, even. She can't fly and doesn't have any weapons like Mjolnir, but she's smart. Resourceful. She won't let herself get caught."

"Great. Things are calm for a few weeks and then it all goes to shit again," the Director said.

"Did you expect a vacation?" Thor asked, smiling.

"You bet your golden locks I did!" Fury snapped.


	3. Chapter 3

**[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you so much for all of the reviews! I'll try to keep posting as fast as possible!]**

* * *

Emery walked into the grocery store, watching the other customers closely. They each had carts on wheels that they pushed around, grabbing items off of the shelves as they went. Humans were just as strange as Loki had described.

"Your total's $15.59," the girl working at the counter said after ringing up the pile of candy bars that Emery had remembered Thor telling her were delicious.

"What?" Emery asked.

"Your total, its $15.59," the girl repeated, looking at Emery warily.

"I don't have any currency," Emery said, confused. Thor never mentioned having to actually buy the food.

"Hurry up already!" the man behind her said impatiently. Emery turned and faced him.

"Excuse me?" she asked, looking him up and down. He was weak by Asgardian accounts, obviously enjoying eating more than exercising.

"Just pay and take your damn food," the man said. Emery punched him in the nose, hearing the telltale crack of bone. He went down, blood gushing from his face. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and reacted, swinging her left leg around and catching another man in the chest. He flew backwards into a display of kitten food and didn't get back up.

Emery looked around her in satisfaction. The man with the broken nose was groveling on the floor, while the clerk stood transfixed behind the counter. She flinched when Emery walked towards her.

"I think I better go," Emery said, grabbing the candy bars and shoving them in a plastic bag. The girl watched in shock as Emery walked out of the store.

Taking a shallow breath of the night air, Emery wrapped her arm around her side and desperately tried to make the pain in her ribs go away. It was just her luck that she'd gotten into a fight, which had taken a lot out of her.

As she walked away from the store Emery spotted a motorcycle in the parking lot, and smiled. Maybe her luck was about to change.

* * *

The bright lights overhead burned Loki's eyes. He tried blinking against the harsh glare, his mind sluggish.

"Loki?" Thor's face was suddenly there, blurry and out of focus but definitely Thor. "Brother, how do you feel?"

Slowly Loki's vision cleared and he tried to sit up, but Thor pushed him back down. "Relax, you are safe," Thor said. Loki looked around the room, realizing he wasn't on Asgard.

"Where are we?" Loki asked. His body felt similar to the time Bruce Banner had shown him the floor of Stark tower.

"SHIELD headquarters. Do you remember what happened?" Thor asked.

Loki tried to think, remembering being imprisoned on Asgard, of Thor and Emery visiting him often, Emery taking his scepter…

"Emery!" Loki shouted, sitting upright. "Where is she?"

"We don't know," Thor replied. "We had hoped you might know where she is headed."

Loki sighed. "I don't. She was upset about something when she came to see me, then she freed me and took my scepter. When she opened the portal, I was sucked in with her. That's all I remember."

The door to the infirmary opened and in walked Nick Fury. "The doctor says you have a concussion, but besides that should be just fine."

"Concussion?" Loki asked.

"You've been unconscious for two days. On Midgard, this far from Father's power, we don't heal as fast," Thor explained.

"Emery's been missing for two days?" Loki asked, surprising Fury. Maybe the god had a caring bone in his body after all.

"We're going to need your help to find your sister, but if you so much as blink without my permission, you'll be sent back to Asgard permanently," Fury said. He didn't care how much Loki might appear to be worried about Emery, if he stepped out of line the director was prepared to take action.

* * *

"This surveillance is from two days ago," Nick Fury said as he pressed the play button on the remote, a video clip playing on the screen. The Avengers watched the video in silence.

"Apparently, Emery has no problem stealing," Fury said once the video was over.

"I told you she was fast," Thor said, smiling.

"Is that a hint of pride I hear in your voice?" Tony asked, leaning forward to look across the table at Thor.

"Emery is the most headstrong of all three of us. This video doesn't surprise me," Thor replied.

"She's trying to survive," Loki added.

"So what are we going to do about her?" Steve asked.

"Bring her in," Fury replied. "The faster the better."

"Can you two please explain to us what we're up against?" Clint asked. "I'm not in the mood to fight a Norse god if all the cards aren't on the table."

"She's not dangerous," Loki replied. "But she won't willingly let herself be captured. She's too stubborn for that."

"The main thing you have to know is she's fast, faster than Loki or I. She knows how to fight, how to hide, and how to run. It won't be easy to track her, let alone capture her," Thor said.

"The tracking part is easy, I've been searching for the energy signature of the scepter and the trace should be complete soon," Bruce said.

"I think the point that Goldy Locks here is trying to make is don't underestimate her just because she's seventeen and a little lost," Tony said. "I mean, no offense guys, but look what family she comes from."

Thor and Loki looked at each other then shrugged.

An alarm went off and Bruce picked up his handheld computer, looking at the screen. "The trace is complete, she's on the move."

"Alright, suit up," Director Fury ordered.


	4. Chapter 4

[**A/N: I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, more chapters to come soon!] **

"Remind me again what our plan is?" Tony asked, the face of his Iron Man suit open. He sat next to Steve, Bruce and Loki sitting across from them. Clint and Natasha were piloting the jet while Thor stood, arms crossed over his chest.

"Find her and take her back with us to base," Steve replied, examining his shield.

"What if she doesn't want to come back with us?" Tony pressed.

"We make her," Thor replied.

"The tracker says she should be close," Bruce said, checking his iPad.

"She's close alright," Natasha said. Everyone stood up, looking out the windshield of the jet. They were flying low over an empty stretch of highway, a motorcycle racing along in front of them. The scepter was strapped to the back of the rider.

"Alright let's go," Tony said as he closed the face of his suit and pressed the button to open the back of the jet. He blasted out, Thor following right on his heels. They landed in front of the motorcycle, and the rider swerving to avoid them and tipping the bike over, skidding on the road towards them.

"This should be fun," Clint said as he quickly landed the jet. Steve, Bruce and Loki jumped out, Natasha and Clint behind them.

"Are you alright?" Thor asked as he approached Emery, who was lying on her side, the scepter still secured to her back.

Slowly emery sat up, feeling like one giant bruise. It felt like she couldn't breath, her chest unable to fully inflate.

"Sister?" Loki asked, taking a few steps towards her. He saw the flicker of pain cross her face and knew that she was hurt.

"Well that wasn't so hard," Tony said, looking around.

Suddenly an angry young god was hurtling towards him, crashing into him and sending him flying backwards. He hit the median and stopped, shaking his head as he sat up.

"What was that?" Tony demanded as he flew back to the group.

"I think you made her angry," Clint replied, smiling. He watched the young girl, saw the way she braced her feet shoulder width apart and had her hands clenched at her sides. She was ready to fight.

"Emery, be calm. We are here to help," Thor said, walking towards her, hands outstretched. Everyone noticed he left Mjolnir sitting on the ground behind him.

"Don't touch me," Emery said, taking her eyes off of Thor and berating herself for her moment of hesitation. The rest of the team had taken her few seconds of distraction to encircle her.

"We just want to help you," Natasha said, following Thor's lead and holding her hands up in front of her.

"Don't lie to me! You're here to capture me and send me back to Asgard. I'm not an idiot," Emery snapped. "I won't let you." She reached for the scepter, holding it tightly in one hand.

"Emery, stop this!" Loki yelled.

She turned and looked at him. "I thought you would like not having all the attention on yourself."

"Stop this madness sister, before someone gets hurt," Thor said.

"Stop telling me what to do!" Emery screamed, firing the scepter at him. It hit him square in the chest and sent him flying backwards.

"Alright, step one: get the stick away from little miss angry," Tony said as he flew at Emery, reaching for the scepter. In one fluid movement, Emery ducked under his outstretched hand and rolled on the ground, coming up on one knee and firing at Tony's back. He crashed into the road.

"She moves faster than you, sir," Jarvis warned.

"Yah, I got that," Tony grumbled as he stood back up.

Clint nocked an arrow to his bow, watching Emery closely. She stood up and turned to face him, looking at the arrow rather than him.

"I don't want to shot you," Clint warned. Emery looked up at him, her hazel eyes meeting his brown. "Just put the scepter down, so we can talk about this."

Emery looked down at the scepter in her hands, knowing that what the man was saying to her was true. She knew that none of them wanted to hurt her, but she also knew that it was their responsibility to send her back home.

Clint barely had a chance to shoot before Emery had fired at him. She dodged to the side, the arrow ripping through her shoulder. The ball of energy barely missed Clint, who rolled out of the way.

Emery dropped the scepter, falling to her knees. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire, the pain radiating outwards. She looked around her, knowing she didn't stand a chance yet refusing to believe that she had come so far only to fail so quickly. Steve, Natasha, Loki and Bruce still encircled her, ready for whatever was coming next.

"Uh, guys…" Bruce said, looking up at the sudden storm that was forming in the sky above them, deep purple and blue clouds swirling angrily.

"Thor?" Tony asked as he rejoined the group, helping Clint to his feet.

"This is not my doing," Thor replied as he walked back to the circle. The Avengers all stared skyward, nearly forgetting Emery.

"It's Thanos," Loki said, staring up at the sky with disbelief. He knew that his benefactor would exact revenge on him for his humiliating failure, but he hadn't expected it to come so soon. Actually, he had expected to be safe in the Asgard prison, protected by his father, rather than on earth with a team of reject freaks.

"Thanos?" Steve asked.

"He…helped me with the Chitauri," Loki explained, not wanting to give away too much information. He knew they didn't stand a chance, but he didn't want everyone else to know that as well.

"He's your boss," Natasha said knowingly.

"From the looks of it, I don't think he's too happy about how that whole fight went down," Tony said.

"I was told not to fail. Apparently the threat was serious," Loki said.

"You won't stand alone brother," Thor said, placing his hand on Loki's shoulder.

Emery slowly and quietly stood up, hoping that the others would be too distracted to notice her slip away…

"Don't even think it," Steve warned, coming to stand next to her. He looked down at her, taking in her shoulder wound, the dried blood on the side of her head, how she was favoring her ribs. Obviously she'd been through a lot and it was about to get a lot worse.

"Stick with me," he said, hoping she wouldn't try and run off the instant he was busy fighting. She nodded, however, and Steve turned back to the figure that had landed 30 feet in front of them.

Thanos was an impressive man, standing at least 7 feet tall with broad muscular shoulders, red tinted skin, and clan markings on his chin. But it wasn't his formidable size that worried the Avengers. It was the way he flexed and prepared to take them all on, even though he was outnumbered 1 to 6, 8 if you counted Emery and Loki. The odds weren't in his favor yet he was ready to fight. He almost looked like he was please that he would be taking on so many at once.

"You're not welcome here," Thor said, stepping slightly in front of Loki.

"I have unfinished business with your brother, Asgardian, and I suggest you don't get in my way," Thanos said.

"Someone woke up on the evil side of the bed," Tony said. Thanos looked at him.

"This doesn't concern any of you insignificant mortals," Thanos said.

"Um, wrong. We're a team, and for the moment Loki is part of that, so whatever beef you have with him you have with all of us," Natasha said.

"Fine," Thanos replied, smiling.


	5. Chapter 5

The world was full of smoke, and as Emery groaned and tried to sit up she heard a groan from nearby. Squinting, she saw Captain America rise onto his hands and knees, shaking his head. He looked around, noticing that he was being watched.

"What happened?" he asked as he slowly stood up, reaching for his shield.

"I don't know," Emery said, looking down at her arm. A river of blood flowed from a deep cut on her forearm, and she had to look away for fear of being sick.

"You're hurt," Steve said, seeing the cut.

"I guess…I don't heal as fast here," Emery replied, her chest constricted. She was fairly certain that at least one of her ribs was broken, making it impossible to take a deep breath.

"We need to find the others," Steve said, looking around. The smoke was starting to thin, and he could make out a shape lying a few feet away, not moving. A body.

He hurried over, rolling Natasha onto her back. She was conscious, though stunned.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked.

"Just a little woozy," Natasha replied, fighting back the nausea as she slowly sat up, Steve helping her. "What happened?"

Emery slowly stood up, swaying on her feet. She fought against her body's protests, refusing to look weak. She needed to find her brothers.

"I think we lost," Steve replied. He watched as Emery walked away, searching for more members of the fallen team. She saw the jet sitting on the median, appearing unharmed. She found Bruce helping Clint walk, the archer's arm wrapped around the other's man shoulder.

"Have you seen Thor or Loki?" Emery asked, starting to panic. She had to find them. They had to be okay.

"Everything's a blur," Clint replied.

"Clint?" Natasha asked as she hurried forward, taking his other arm.

"Where's Tony?" Steve asked.

"I'm here," Tony replied, voice strained. Emery turned and saw the metal man sprawled in a crater formed around his body. Slowly he sat up, the lights on his suit flickering.

"Must've gotten knocked out when all the excitement began," he said, placing a hand against his helmet. Steve helped him up, then followed after Emery.

"They've got to be here somewhere," Steve said, hoping it would help calm her down. She really didn't look she could handle much more searching, she was unsteady on her feet and her arm was a mess, but she was Asgardian and he knew she wouldn't stop until they found her brothers.

The sudden sound of shifting rocks alerted Emery and she hurried forward, peering down the embankment into more smoke.

"Thor? Loki?" she called out.

"Emmy, get away…" a feeble voice said before there was a roar and something sprang out of the smoke at her, grabbing her around the neck and hoisting her into the air.

"Let her go!" Steve shouted, aiming his gun at Thanos, who kept his hand gripped tightly around Emery's throat. She tried to kick out at him, fight against him, but it was like kicking a brick wall. She could feel herself slowly losing the energy to fight, the edges of her vision going gray.

"Let. Her. GO!" Thor shouted as he suddenly appeared, swinging Mjolnir straight at Thanos' face. The hammer connected, and Thanos took a step back, grunting in pain. His grip lessened and Emery fell to the ground, the breath knocked out of her lungs. Steve rushed forward and grabbed her good arm, helping her to her feet and away from the fight.

Thor swung again, but this time Thanos was ready. He blocked the blow and punched Thor in the face, sending the god flying backwards. Emery heard him hit the ground with a loud huff.

"Come out come out wherever you are, little snake," Thanos said. Emery knew he was trying to tempt Loki to fight him, but she knew that Loki wouldn't stand a chance against this hulking monster that stood before her.

"Fight me," she said. Thanos turned and looked at her.

"What?" he asked, mildly surprised.

"Fight me instead of my brother. If you win, accept my life as payment for Loki's. If I win, you leave and never return," Emery replied.

Thanos threw back his head and laughed, deep and guttural.

"Don't do this!" Steve said, but Emery just shook his hand off her shoulder and watched Thanos, waiting for his reply.

"Alright little Asgardian, I'll fight you. Though I don't think it's fair to kill someone so young, I can't ignore the payment that must be paid," Thanos said. Emery nodded, taking a step forward. She was ready for whatever was going to come.

Suddenly Thanos lunged at her, and she barely had time to leap out of the way. She was faster than him, but he was also determined and highly skillful.

"Emmy, don't!" someone shouted, and Emery turned to look behind her. In that one instant, Thanos grabbed her by the neck, hoisting her high into the air once again. She struggled against his hold, trying to fight while also unable to breathe, but it was a losing battle. After a few moments she felt herself starting to go limp, the world growing dark. Thanos lowered her until they were staring into each other's faces.

"I want to watch you die," he said, looking into her eyes as her pupils shrunk to little pricks of darkness, the light leaving her eyes.

Emery felt herself falling into the deep abyss, a dark empty void. She thought she heard someone call her name, and a roar of anger. There was a loud bang and then everything crashed down on top of her with the weight of the world.

* * *

When Emery woke up, she barely noticed the way her ribs shifted as she moved, little pops of brilliant pain exploding in her chest. She didn't have time to worry about her injuries at the moment, because she was lying on the floor of the jet right behind the pilot and copilot seats and people were shouting and something was oh so wrong.

"I need something to cover the wound," someone said, and she tried to sit up, wanting to see what was going on, but a strong hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"You shouldn't be moving around," Steve said. He was sitting on the bench beside her, dirt streaked down his face.

"What's going on?" Emery asked, lying back down and looking up at Captain America. Her mind was moving sluggishly. She knew something was going on, something important, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what.

"Thanos almost killed you. He was choking you and we couldn't just stand by and do nothing," Steve replied. "But when we interfered he teleported away. We don't know where to."

"Is someone hurt?" Emery asked, hearing the urgent voices. She tried to sit up and see what was going on at the back of the jet, but Steve once again stopped her.

"Everyone's a little banged up" he replied.

"We're headed back to the Helicarrier," Natasha said from the copilot seat.

"Where's Thor and Loki?" Emery asked.

She looked at Steve, who glanced towards the back of the jet. She saw the way his jaw clenched, knew he wasn't telling her something.

"Where are my brothers?" Emery demanded, exuding what little strength she had left to shove Steve's hand off her shoulder and sit up. She managed to sit up long enough to see Tony sitting nearby, cradling one of his arms to chest, and Bruce and Thor standing beside a makeshift stretcher where Loki lay. He wasn't moving.

Emery felt her lungs scream at her to breathe, but she couldn't. She wondered why everything looked so shiny and out of focus. Steve was telling her something, and she felt herself lie back down, a feeling of numbness sweeping over her. Slowly everything faded away, and she didn't fight it.

* * *

"Loki's out of surgery," Nick Fury said as he walked into the conference room, the Avengers all gathered around the table. "The surgeons were able to repair the damage and he should make a full recovery. He's asleep, but you can go see him now."

Thor stood up. "What about Emery?"

"She's headed into surgery. Most of her ribs are fractured, and she has a pierced lung, but the doctors were afraid to perform surgery until she had stabilized. And her injuries weren't as severe as Loki's, so he was treated first," Fury replied.

"When can I see her?" Thor asked.

"I'll let you know when she's out of surgery," Fury replied. "Go see Loki."

Thor nodded then hurried from the room.

"Well that was fun," Clint groaned, propping his foot on a chair. His ankle was encased in plaster, having snapped the bone during the fight.

Natasha hadn't fared much better. She had a minor concussion and a lot of scraped and bruises, but nothing serious. Steve was fine, a little banged up but that was it. Bruce was the luckiest of them all, not a single bruise or cut anywhere. He said the "other guy" had helped with that.

"This looks like a fun party," Tony said as he walked in, one arm in a sling and a bandage on his temple.

"Glad to see your humor wasn't affected at all by that ass-kicking," Natasha grumbled.

"Sweetheart, nothing can affect my humor," Tony replied, sitting down gingerly. "Any word on Mr. Evil Pants and Angry Girl?"

"Loki's out of surgery, he should be okay," Steve replied. "Emery's headed into surgery soon, we don't much on her situation."

"Do we have a plan?" Clint asked, looking at Fury who stood with his back to the group, surveying the sunset outside.

"As of right now, both Loki and Emery are wards of the state, under our protection from Thanos. He's our new enemy number 1. I want all trackers up and running looking for him ASAP," Fury replied.

"This should be fun," Tony said.

Fury turned and looked at Bruce. "Any new developments with the scepter?"

"No. Whatever powered it before, the energy signature is totally drained. Maybe Emery's trip here maxed it out, or Thanos did something to it when he teleported. I won't know for sure without more tests," Bruce replied.

"Alright, you and Tony get to work on that. Natasha, Steve, and Clint, I want you to stay with Thor and keep him calm. See what he knows about Thanos," Fury ordered. "Until we find out more information about who we're facing, we're sitting ducks."


	6. Chapter 6

"I want to see her!" Thor heard Loki yell. Steve, Clint and Natasha followed after Thor as he hurried into the recovery room, shocked to find Loki standing beside his bed, angrily facing off against a nurse.

"Brother," Thor said, stepping into the room. Loki looked at him, his eyes feverish and glazed. "You should be resting."

"I have to see her," Loki said, swaying on his feet. Thor hurried forward when he saw all the color drain from his younger brother's face, catching him before he collapsed. He easily hoisted him back up into bed, though Loki weakly resisted.

"No, you have to let me see her, I have to know she's okay!" Loki argued, trying to bat Thor's hands away as he tried to hold Loki down.

"He's bleeding," Steve said as he stepped forward to help Thor, noticing the rust colored stain spreading across Loki's shoulder. A nurse pulled his gown back to reveal a set of nineteen stitches holding his wound closed, a few of them on the end having popped loose in his struggle.

"I'll go get the doctor," the nurse said, leaving the room.

"I have to see her," Loki persisted, fighting against Thor and Steve.

"Shhh," Natasha said as she came over to his bed, allowing her instinct to guide her. She ran her fingers through his tangled hair, gently sweeping it off his hot forehead, and he relaxed into the soothing motion. "You have to calm down, or the doctor won't let you go see Emery."

Loki looked up at Natasha with such sad longing that she almost forgot who she was talking to. This man had tried to take over the world, tried to kill her and millions others, for fun. She shouldn't be comforting him. But something about the way he looked at her, the way he tried so hard to go see his sister, broke down her defenses.

"Emery just got out of surgery, she's still sleeping," Clint said from the doorway, leaning against the doorframe with his crutches. He refused to come any closer to the volatile Norse, knowing all to well what would happen.

Loki slowly relaxed, and Thor and Steve backed off.

"We can take you to her, if you promise to stay calm," Natasha said. Loki nodded.

The walk to Emery's room shouldn't have taken as long as it did, but Loki was quickly losing energy and by the time they got there, his arm was wrapped around Thor's shoulder and he was leaning heavily against his brother for support. Steve opened the door, and the group walked inside.

Loki went straight to Emery, shocked to see all the monitors and strange human devices they had surrounding her, emitting beeps and odd noises.

"She's going to be just fine," the doctor said as he came in the room. "It's you I'm more worried about. You really should be resting."

"I can't leave her," Loki argued, still staring at Emery. She looked so young. It was all his fault that she was even on Midgard in the first place. If he hadn't been so selfish and wrapped up in his own problems, he would've been able to be there for her, to help her when she needed him the most. He refused to let her down again.

"What if we brought a second bed in here, that way he can rest and the two of them won't be separated," Steve suggested. The doctor surveyed the group, knowing that they were all very stubborn individuals and probably wouldn't take no for an answer. The faster he got the bed in there, the faster his two patients might be able to rest in relative peace.

"Oh alright," he agreed. Steve quickly left the room.

"No more strolls, your wound needs time to heal and popping out your stitches doesn't help that," the doctor said as Thor helped Loki climb back into bed and get settled. Loki rolled onto his side, grimacing when it tugged at his fresh stitches, and Thor pulled the blankets up to his chin then pulled a chair between the two beds, sitting down. Natasha stood with Clint by the door and Steve stood on the other side of Loki's bed, surveying the scene. It wasn't everyday that you saw a psychotic killer get tucked into bed by his older brother.

"I'll make sure he behaves," Thor said to the doctor, who nodded then left the room.

"How long until she wakes?" Loki asked, looking over at Emery who was still sleeping.

"A couple hours at least," Natasha replied.

"Though with her healing abilities it might be faster," Steve added. "You were up and about only half an hour after your surgery."

"I don't like hospitals," Loki whined, and Natasha felt the twinge again. The urge to rush to his side and comfort him, drive away all the things that scared him. She shook her head, looking away.

"Just rest, when you wake up she'll still be here," Thor said. He knew that Loki was fighting a losing battle against the exhaustion that pulled at him. He watched as his brothers eyes slowly closed.

"Maybe next time we should sedate him," Clint suggested.

"They're both lucky to be alive," Natasha said. She looked at Loki, his face relaxed in sleep and appearing for the first time to actually be at peace. She saw the sibling likeness when she looked at all three of them so close together.

"Fury wants us to find out if you know anything about Thanos," Steve said, breaking the silence. Thor looked down at his hands, deep in thought.

"Until today, I had no idea how Loki became involved with the Chitauri," Thor replied. He looked at his brother, watching his chest rise and fall. "After Loki fell, I thought he was lost. I don't know where he was, or who he met along the way."

"So we're still at square one," Clint grumbled.

"Maybe you should go get some rest," Natasha said. Clint looked at her then left the room.

"Whoever he is, he's strong," Steve said.

"We've faced an army and won. I think we can handle one man," Thor said.

* * *

A constant beep was the first thing Emery heard as she slowly regained consciousness. Fighting against the sleep that tried to pull her back under, she blinked open her eyes and looked around the bright room, the harsh glare of the lights making her squint. It took her vision a while to clear, but when it did she saw Thor sitting in a chair by her bed, watching her.

"It's good to see you awake," he said, leaning forward and smiling.

Emery tried to shift into a more comfortable position but pain flared in her chest and she stopped, gasping.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?" Thor asked, his eyes full of worry.

Emery lay back against the pillows, focusing on taking slow breaths. Her chest was extremely sore.

"I'm alright," she said. "Where's Loki? What happened?"

"Hopefully sleeping," Thor replied, looking over his shoulder at another bed. Emery turned and looked, glad to see Loki asleep, curled on his side facing her. He looked so much younger. "He was badly injured and needed surgery, but he refused to leave your side once he was awake and the doctor threatened to sedate him. Finally we dragged a second bed in here and convinced him to lie down."

Emery smiled, trying to picture . "You look exhausted."

"He's refused to get any rest," Natasha said as she walked over from her perch by the door. She came to stand next to Steve, both of them glad to see Emery awake.

"You always were stubborn," Emery said, smiling at Thor.

"I think it's a family trait," Steve said, laughing.

Loki stirred, slowly opening his green eyes and blinking in surprise at Emery.

"You're awake?" he asked, voice hesitant. Emery nodded. "I…I had a dream where you wouldn't wake and no one would let me see you."

"It was just a dream," Thor said soothingly, trying to calm Loki. He noticed the sheen of sweat on Loki's face, the slight shiver that ran through his body. Something was wrong.

"Steve, can you bring the doctor here please," Thor asked, hoping he was just overreacting. He thought that Loki and Emery would start healing by now, their Asgardian powers were diminished on Midgard but not completely gone. It shouldn't be taking so long.

Steve left the room, and Emery met Thor's gaze, curious. He shook his head no, and she didn't press him.

The doctor and Steve hurried back into the room, both looking to Thor for an explanation.

I think my brother has a fever," Thor said, standing up. The doctor went to Loki, placing his hand on Loki's forehead.

"I think you're right," the doctor replied. He looked at Loki. "Can I check your wound?" Loki nodded yes, and the doctor pulled back his gown to examine stitches, all of which were still in place. Though the warmth he felt around the gash told him all he needed to know. "Infection."

"What?" Thor asked, voice full of concern and disbelief.

"He's got an infection, I'll need to run some blood work to see exactly what we're dealing with, but in the mean time I'm going to start him on some simple antibiotics," the doctor replied before leaving the room.

"I thought you healed if you rested long enough," Natasha said, confused.

"We're supposed to," Thor replied. He looked down at Loki, who had slipped back into a fitful sleep. "Something's wrong."


	7. Chapter 7

Suddenly a massive cloud of swirling purple and blue exploded above the main deck of the hover ship, sending soldiers running and alarms blaring.

"What's going on?" Thor asked, watching as men raced past the infirmary.

"I'll go find out, you and Steve stay here," Natasha said, quickly leaving the room.

Steve braced himself for a fight when the doors to the infirmary opened and a woman with long red hair braided down her back walked in. She carried herself with elegance and refinery, and Steve momentarily forgot why he was standing there, completely in awe of her.

"Mother?" Thor asked, shocked. He slowly stood up, and she walked towards him, staring up at him with the same intense blue eyes.

"I'm here," she said, hugging her eldest. Thor buried his head on her shoulder, and Steve quietly slipped out of the room, not wanting to pry into their intimate family reunion.

"How did you find us?" Thor asked, pulling away from her.

"Your father and Heimdall were able to repair the sky bridge," Frigga replied. She looked down at Loki, who was still asleep. "He burns with fever."

"The human doctors are trying to figure it out, neither Emery or Loki are healing properly," Thor said, watching his mother's face. She stroked Loki's forehead, pushing the hair back from his hot brow in a slow sweeping motion that used to calm him when he was younger.

"This is my fault. If your father and I had just told him of his true parentage, perhaps we could have avoided any unnecessary strife between the two of you. Then he wouldn't even be here," Frigga said softly, a deep ache in her chest. She blamed herself for the way her family had been torn apart ever since Loki had learned that he was Laufey's son. The subsequent banishment of Thor, Loki falling from the broken sky bridge, the war between the Chitauri and Avengers, Emery freeing Loki and coming to Earth…it all came down to one pivotal moment in her son's life. And she would always carry that guilt, the knowledge that if she had just told Loki the truth when he was younger and more understanding, she would've been able to safe her family from the turmoil it was in now.

"Mother, you cannot blame yourself for Loki's actions. He made his own decisions and must now live with the consequences," Thor argued, placing his hand on her shoulder. "None of this is your fault."

Frigga smiled weakly. "I wish that was true." She walked over to Emery's bed, watching her youngest sleep.

Thor sighed, knowing better than to argue with his mother. "Why did father not come as well?"

"He knew that Loki wouldn't want to see him. I simply came to give you a message," Frigga replied, turning and looking at Thor. "Your father is searching for Thanos as we speak, in retaliation for his attack on three Asgardians. We decided it would be best if you kept Loki and Emery here on Earth for the time being, protected by the Avengers. They both need to heal."

"And after Thanos is captured?" Thor asked.

"They will be free to choose where they wish to stay; either on Earth with you, or in Asgard. Odin has revoked Loki's punishment, he is free to do as he chooses," Frigga replied. She smiled at Thor's astonished face. "Your father understands that the best way to help your brother is not to lock him away in prison."

"I…I will tell them once they're awake," Thor said. Frigga hugged him, then turned and kissed Loki and Emery on the forehead.

"I must return to Asgard, your father needs my help. You're their older brother, the only one who can protect them," Frigga said, kissing Thor on the cheek before leaving the room.

Thor watched her go, still shocked. He looked at Emery and Loki, wishing they were awake. He couldn't wait to tell Loki he was cleared of all charges and a free man once again, or give Emery the option to stay on Earth.

Steve came back in the room. "What was that all about?" he asked.

"My mother wanted to deliver a message," Thor replied. "My father is searching for Thanos, while Loki and Emery stay here where they're safe."

"We should go see if Director Fury is having a heart attack yet," Steve said, knowing their boss wouldn't be too happy about another Asgardian just dropping in unannounced.

"That would probably be wise," Thor replied, following Steve out of the room.

* * *

"What the hell do you mean she just wanted to give you a message?" Fury demanded. Bruce, Tony, Natasha, Clint, Steve and Thor were sitting around the table, watching the director pace up and down with short agitated steps.

"She simply told me that my father is hunting Thanos and it would be best if I kept Emery and Loki here where they're safest until they're completely healed," Thor replied. He fought back a smile as Fury continued pacing, thinking fast.

"So we're going to keep two dangerous Asgardian gods on Earth until this whole war with Thanos is figured out?" Fury asked.

"Sounds like it," Tony said. "Personally, I'm glad. Let Papa Bear handle all the messy work while we just kick back on babysitting duty."

Fury sighed. "Alright, looks like we're riding bench for now. But if there's any sign of Thanos, all of you suit up."

"Let's go see how the infirm are doing," Tony said, standing up.


	8. Chapter 8

**[A/N: Sorry this chapter is so uber short, I just wanted to update!]**

"He must know something about Thanos," Tony said, looking up at Thor, who stood in front of the med bay door with his arms crossed over his chest. He was resolutely refusing any of the avengers to attempt to interrogate Loki.

"He needs his rest," Thor replied. "And I doubt my brother knows anything that would be of help to us."

"We won't know unless we ask!" Tony argued. "I promise I won't subject him to any torture devices. Just a friendly little chat."

"No," Thor said without any hesitation.

"Maybe you two should cool down," Steve suggested, watching Tony and Thor face each other down, neither willing to budge.

"Fine," Tony snapped. "If your dad manages to catch Thanos, what do we do then?"

"Thanos you can torture all you want," Thor replied. "We need to know what poison he used on Loki."

"It could be self inflicted, to make sure we don't look at the real culprit," Clint said.

Thor glared at him. "The feud between my brother and you should be the least of our concerns at the moment."

"Right. Let me just forget all about the fact that he's a psychopath, and dangerous, and totally untrustworthy. That should be easy," Clint said. Natasha put her hand on his arm but he shrugged it off. "Loki is the reason we're in this whole mess to begin with!"

"Watch yourself," Thor growled.

"Alright, obviously this isn't helping," Steve said, coming to stand between Thor and Clint. "We need a plan to hunt down Thanos that doesn't involve Loki or Emery. They're refugees, remember?"

"Sure, whatever," Clint grumbled, looking away.

"Is there a way for you to track Thanos' energy signature? He was throwing off a lot of it when we fought him on the highway," Natasha suggested, looking at Bruce.

"I might be able to throw something together," Bruce replied, looking at Tony. "Wanna help?"

"Whatever gets me away from this drama," Tony replied, following Bruce down the hall.

"Clint and I'll go check and see how Fury's doing," Natasha said, grabbing Clint's arm and dragging him after her.

Steve looked at Thor. "How's your mom?"

"Worried," Thor replied, going into the med bay. Steve followed. Loki lay on his bed, the sheets twisted around him due to his fretful sleeping. A fine sheen of sweat clung to his forehead, and his chest rose and fell faster than normal.

Emery's bed was empty.

"Great," Steve said, looking at Thor. "Any idea where she might have gone? This ship is sort of huge."

"She's stealthy," Thor said, smiling. He knew he should be upset with Emery for hiding from them, but at the moment he was just glad she was awake.


	9. Chapter 9

"Nice view," Natasha said, carefully balancing on the rafter beam hanging above the hangar bay. Emery was sitting on the beam beside her, looking down at the workers scurrying below. Natasha sat down, her legs dangling in the air.

"How'd you find me?" Emery asked.

"I knew where I'd go if I were you," Natasha replied.

"Is Thor freaking out?" Emery asked.

"Your brother's just worried about you," she replied.

Emery sighed. "Thor still views me as a child. If he could, he'd send me back to Asgard."

"Maybe you just need to change his perception of you," Natasha said. "Make him see you as a warrior, not the little sister that needs protecting."

"How do you suggest I do that?" Emery asked, looking at the red head beside her.

Natasha smiled. "My dad had a bad habit of getting involved with the wrong people, but he loved me. He loved me so much that he sent me to a boarding school in another country. He had expectations for my life from the time I was born, and I was forced to follow his plan for my life until one day when I realized it was stupid being someone that I'm not."

"How'd you do that?" Emery asked.

Natasha looked at her. "I ran away. I studied fighting. I became who I wanted to be."

"I wish it was that simple," Emery said, looking away. "Your father isn't an Asgardian god that can find you anywhere in the universe."

"No, but my father was a Russian diplomat that had almost as much power," Natasha replied. "You can't let people's expectations hold you back. If you have to, show them how wrong they are. Believe me, it gets better once you aren't living under someone else's shadow."

"That's what Loki keeps saying," Emery said. She watched Natasha. "You don't like him."

"No offense, but your brother isn't exactly that easy to like. Last time I faced him, it took almost all we had to bring him down. So no, we won't be best friends anytime soon," Natasha replied.

"People can change. Didn't you just tell me that?" Emery asked, looking at Natasha closely. Natasha smiled.

"You're a fast learner." She watched Emery, the way she was completely at ease up high above the hangar bay. There was something about her, something that sparked a memory in Natasha. It was like she was looking at a younger version of herself. But that thought didn't scare her. It made her want to protect the girl even more than she already did.

"Come on, let's go find Thor before he starts ripping apart the ship looking for you," Natasha said, standing up and balancing on the beam. She led the way back to the maintenance entrance, and together the two walked back through the halls to the med bay, expecting to find Thor there.

Suddenly an alarm blared. "Stick with me!" Natasha yelled, hurrying down the hall towards the main deck. Something was wrong.

"We've found Thanos!" Bruce shouted over the alarm when Natasha and Emery barreled into the room. Thankfully the alarm shut off, leaving everyone's ears ringing.

"Really?" Natasha asked, walking over to the table and taking a seat. Emery sat beside her, looking around warily.

"Don't sound so surprised," Tony said, coming to sit on Emery's other side. "Welcome to the party table, princess."

"Princess?" Emery asked, glaring at Tony.

"Sheesh, why is everyone so uptight?" Tony asked the room at large.

"Because we have a level five alien terrorist on earth that has already proved himself stronger than this team," Director Fury said as he walked into the room, followed by Steve, Clint and Thor.

"That first time didn't count, we had no idea what we were going up against," Tony said.

"This time we do?" Clint asked, taking his seat on Natasha's left. Thor stood behind Emery's chair, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I believe so," Bruce said, using his iPad to show a blurry picture of a hulking figure. "Using his energy signature, we were able to track him to South America. He was in Rio de Janeiro, then suddenly Mexico City. Now he's in Caracas. With this information, we were able to discover his ability to teleport."

"Teleport?" Steve asked, looking around in confusion.

"He can move from one place to another in seconds," Tony replied. "Which will make fighting him very hard. We have to find a way to hold him in one place long enough to capture him."

"How do you suggest we capture him?" Clint demanded.

"We'll use the cage," Fury replied. "It's a newer version of the one we held Loki in. With some added boosts…"

"Electrically charged walls so he won't be able to teleport," Tony interrupted excitedly. "And the glass is reinforced with steel ribbons so it'd take nearly 50 tons of force to break, which is impossible even for him."

"We hope," Fury said, raising his eyebrows at Tony.

"So all we have is a cage we hope works, and some stupid plan for keeping him distracted?" Clint asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He leaned forward, looking around the table. "Doesn't anyone else realize how idiotic this plan is?"

"I do," Emery replied, looking at him.

"Excuse me?" Clint asked, surprised.

"Thanos is smart. He won't be distracted long enough for you to miraculously get him into the cage. Look what he did with the Chitauri's. He convinced them to go war on a planet they had no hope of overruling, yet they came here all the same. And he's evaded my father's capture for nearly two days now, something that has never happened. Ever."

Everyone was silent as they processed what Emery had just said. Finally Natasha spoke.

"We have to at least try. Even if there's no chance of winning, we have to stand up against him." She looked at Emery. "Even if the world tells us we can't, we have to try."

"I think it'll be fun," Tony said.

"I agree with Natasha," Steve added.

"Now that that's settled," Fury said, smiling sarcastically. "We need to get the cage ready for transfer. I'll have it outfitted to one of the jets."

"I want to come," Emery said, looking at Fury.

"No!" Thor shouted. "It's too dangerous. This is something the Avengers need to handle, not you."

Fury looked closely at Emery. "I can help," she argued.

"She can stay close with me," Natasha added.

"Alright," Fury replied. "But you stay with agent Romanoff, and if you interfere with Thanos' capture I'll punish you myself."

Emery nodded, unsure what she was getting herself into.


	10. Chapter 10

**[Super sorry it took me so long to update, but here you go! Thanks so much for following my story!]**

"What's the plan?" Emery asked as Natasha sat beside her in the jet. The others were helping attach the cage to the steel cables so they could carry it to their destination.

"Thanos is fast, and very powerful. He's already beat this team once, and I don't want that to happen again...which means you and I need to discover his weaknesses and exploit them. He's not invincible," Natasha replied, looking at Emery. The young girl was prepared to fight to protect her brothers, and Natasha knew that Emery would do everything in her power to defeat Thanos. She was a valuable asset.

"Sounds good to me," Emery replied, looking around the cabin. She saw a faint glimmer in the corner closest to her, but at that moment Thor, Tony, Bruce, Steve and Clint climbed into the jet and took their respective seats.

"I tracked Thanos to an area about fifty miles from here, and he hasn't moved in the past hour," Bruce said, sitting down in the seat closest to the door. Tony flopped into the seat beside him, Steve across from him. Clint was the pilot, while Thor sat across from Emery.

"If things start to go badly, I want you to promise you will leave the fight," he said, watching her closely.

"I can't promise you that," Emery replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Can you two work this out some other time?" Clint barked as he began to lift off. Natasha smiled at Emery, trying to convey encouragement. They all needed to be prepared for the upcoming battle, if Thor and Emery were distracted that could mean trouble for the rest of them.

Emery tried to clear her mind, tried to ignore the looks she could feel Thor giving her, but then she saw the glimmer in the corner again and everything clicked into place. Quickly she hurried forward, kneeling on the floor.

"Loki?" she whispered, shocked when he dropped his glamour and became fully visible. Natasha jumped to her feet, hand resting on her hip holster. Thor pushed past her and came to kneel beside Emery.

"What are you doing here brother?" he asked, taking in Loki's pale face and the light sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"I knew you'd need my help," Loki replied weakly. Using his magic had taken a lot out of him.

"We're almost there," Bruce said, checking his scanner.

"We can't just drop him here," Steve said.

"I hate stowaways," Clint snapped.

"Well we don't have any other option but to bring him with us," Natasha said, sitting back down. Emery and Thor helped Loki to the seat next to Emery, where he slumped his head back, closing his eyes.

"That was really stupid," Emery said as she sat beside him. "But also brave." Loki smiled.

"Remind me of that after we see Thanos," he said, turning his head to look at her.

"We can defeat him if we work together," Emery said, seeing the look of defeat on her brother's face and wanting to take that fear away.

"We were lucky to escape last time," Loki said, looking at her with his bright feverish eyes. "Thor's right, when things get out of control you have to save yourself."

"I won't leave you," Emery replied. Loki sighed, closing his eyes.

"We're here," Clint said, gently easing the jet down to land in a field beside a rock quarry. The pit was about four stories deep, and stretched the length of a football field, with massive boulders scattered throughout.

"Of course he wants to fight here," Tony said as he stepped out of the jet, looking down into the pit. "Perfect little getaway."

"Stay focused," Natasha said, walking beside Emery. Thor followed, helping support Loki who refused to stay on the jet alone. They walked to the edge of the pit, the team surveying the area before them.

"Are you sure the scanner isn't broken?" Tony asked, turning to Bruce.

A sudden whistling filled the air, and Steve reacted the fastest, pulling out his shield and stepping in front of Emery, easily deflecting a medium sized boulder that had sailed up from the pit.

"I think it's working just fine," Natasha said, leading the way towards a set of steel steps built along their edge of the pit that descended down to the floor level of the quarry. The rest of the team followed, weapons drawn and everyone ready for an attack at any moment.

"Earth's mightiest heroes, here to fight me once again. Perhaps this time you won't be defeated so easily, " Thanos' voice called out from the shadows, taunting them.

"Everyone ready," Tony said, closing his suits visor over his eyes. He used the infrared to locate Thanos, who was racing towards them. Blasting forward, Tony crashed into the giant of a man and sent him flying backwards.

"That wasn't too hard," Tony said, turning to look back at the team. He wasn't prepared for the fist that struck him, sending him flying. He barely managed to right himself, and when he raced back to the others he found Bruce grappling with Thanos while the others stood warily nearby, Thor shielding Loki with Mjolnir gripped tightly in his hand.

Natasha turned to Emery and Steve. "Follow me!" she yelled, leading the way away from the fight. They heard a roar from behind them, which only spurred them on. Emery tried to keep up, but her chest was still sore, the stitches having been removed from her surgery only the day before. She felt herself slowing down, and then Steve was there, hoisting her into his arms and carrying her up the stairs, keeping right behind Natasha.

"You can put me down now," Emery said when they reached the jet. Steve quickly set her on her feet, looking sheepish.

"We need to get the cage down there," Natasha explained, climbing into the jet and firing it up. Emery and Steve followed, both standing behind her seat and watching through the windshield as they rose into the air, then slowly lowered down into the pit, the cage suspended below them. There was a crash, then an alarm began to sound.

"There's something wrong with the landing gear, I'll have to fly back up to the top so I can land somewhere flat," Natasha said, turning to look at Emery and Steve.

Emery hurried to the back hatch, opening it and looking down at the cage which was resting on the ground below her. Bracing herself, she jumped the ten feet, rolling to absorb the impact. She stood up, racing forward and beginning to work on unhooking the cage. Steve was suddenly there beside her. Once the cage was free, he gave Natasha the thumbs up and she lifted off, landing on the edge of the quarry where she had been before.

The sound of fighting drew Emery's attention, and she turned to see Thanos toss Thor aside like he was nothing then turn to Loki.

"Hey!" Emery screamed, jumping down in front of the cage. Thanos looked up at her in surprise. "Why don't you fight me? He's injured, at least I'll be worth the effort."

Thanos smiled at her, shoving Loki to the ground before beginning to walk towards her. "Get out of here, I've got this," Emery said to Steve. He looked like he wanted to argue, but jumped down from the cage and took a few steps away, eyes never leaving Thanos.

"For a god, you're very reckless," Thanos said as he neared her, still smiling.

Emery smiled back at him."Better reckless than cautious," she said, bracing her feet apart and raising her fists. She knew Thanos would attack fast, and she wasn't disappointed. Without warning, he launched himself toward her, but just as he was about to grab her, she was gone. Thanos crashed to the ground, growling as he stood up and looked around him, slightly surprised to see the young god standing a few feet to the side of her previous position, grinning at him.

"You're fast," he said, standing up and facing her once again. He wanted nothing more than to wipe that stupid smirk right off her face.

That's when the arrow hit him, exploding on contact. Thanos howled in pain and rage, stumbling sideways from the blast. Thor was there, swinging Mjolnir right into Thanos' face, the impact further jarring him. He had just managed to right himself when a slim wrist zoomed into his view, a fist punching him in the jaw. He staggered back, growling. Emery stood in front of him, grinning.

"For a bad guy, you're very slow," she teased, dancing just out of range of his arms. Thanos launched himself forward, and Emery dived sideways, barely avoiding his grasp. She jumped back to her feet, turning to find Thanos looming above her.

"No more games," he snarled, knocking her backwards. She rolled, coming back up to her feet relatively fast. Now that her adrenaline was going, she hardly noticed how hard she'd been hit. Instead, she jumped right back into the fight, kicking Thanos in the side to get his attention away from Steve. Thanos stumbled away from her, and that's when she realized it. His weakness.

"Now!" she screamed, hoping the others were paying attention. Another arrow whistled through the air, embedding itself into Thanos' shoulder. Before he had a chance to react, Thor was there, swinging Mjolnir right into his his face. Then Bruce was shoving him towards the cage, and Emery was right there, slamming the door shut. Tony landed beside her, watching Thanos as he began inspecting his new prison.

"That went a lot better than I thought it would," Steve said, voicing everyone's opinion.

"Let's get out of here," Clint said. Emery turned, relieved to see Thor standing nearby supporting Loki, who was looking at Thanos with a strange expression. But before she had a chance to ask how he was feeling, he was leaning forward, coughing violently. Blood splattered onto the ground, and the world seemed to slow down.

Emery turned when she heard a deep laugh behind her. Thanos was watching her, while the others tried to help Loki.

"Never assume victory is yours until the war is over," Thanos said, smiling at her.


	11. Chapter 11

**[A/N: Reviews are fantastic!]**

"Excuse me miss, but you don't have the clearance to be here," the guard said as Emery approached him. She snapped out her fist, slipping inside the locked door before he had fully slumped to the floor unconscious.

"I expected Thor," Thanos said, watching Emery as she prowled past his cell, a smaller version of the cage Fury had constructed for Bruce.

"Come on princess, tell me what's on your mind," Thanos teased. "It couldn't be the traitorous older brother."

"What did you do to Loki?" Emery demanded, stopping her pacing.

"Traitors deserve to die," Thanos replied.

"I will gladly kill you myself," Emery said.

Thanos laughed. "Don't make empty promises. Then again, you are Loki's sister."

Emery slammed her palm against the cage, glaring at Thanos with barely controlled rage.

"Tell. Me," she growled.

Thanos eyed her appreciatively. "What's in it for me?"

"Tell me!" Emery screamed.

Thanos looked at her, gaze critical. She was small, flaming red hair cut chin length and Freya's piercing blue eyes. But she was powerful, and he knew better than to underestimate her.

"I'll tell you where to find the cure for Loki if you promise to convince your father to have amnesty," Thanos said. Emery stepped back, examining him. He was a liar and probably just wanted to send her into a trap, but there weren't any other options.

"And if I refuse?" she asked.

"Then Loki dies," Thanos replied. "You don't have much time. There's only two flowers left."

Emery's radio suddenly crackled to life. "You better get to the med bay," Steve said.

She whirled around, hurtling past the guard and towards the stairs, taking them two at a time. As she rounded the corner towards the med bay bay she saw Clint, Natasha, Steve and Bruce standing outside Loki's room.

"What's wrong?" she demanded as she slowed to a stop, walking towards them. They turned to look at her.

"Loki's heart rate is really low, the doctors don't know what's wrong," Natasha replied. Emery walked past them and opened the door, trying to prepare herself for what she might see.

Loki was lying on his bed, oxygen mask on his face. Three doctors were examining him as one of their machines beeped slowly. Emery remembered from what Steve had told her that the beeps signaled a heartbeat, and she could tell Loki's were much to erratic.

"He will be fine," Thor promised, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She clung to his side, trying to find any comfort from the embrace. Gone were the days when her brothers could protect her from evil, when the world made sense and her family wasn't being ripped apart.

"He'll be fine," Thor repeated, but Emery didn't believe him.

* * *

"I need your help," Emery said as she sat down next to Steve in the dining hall, ignoring the curious glances from the soldiers around them.

"Yah what's up?" Steve asked.

"I have a mission, and I need backup," Emery replied.

"Mission?" Steve asked, looking at her. "Fury grounded all flights till we figure out a plan for Thanos."

"I know, which is why I need your help," Emery said.

Steve sighed. "This has something to do with Loki, doesn't it?"

Emery looked at him. "He's dying, but I know where to find a cure. Will you help me or not?"

Steve was silent a moment. "I can't pilot any of those jets."

"Leave that to me," Emery said, spotting Natasha, Clint, Bruce and Tony walking into the room.

"Anything good for lunch?" Clint asked as he sat down, eyeing Steve's plate.

"Avoid the meatloaf," Emery advised.

"You'd think the government would provide better food for its heroes," Tony grumbled.

"Any news?" Steve asked.

"Fury is still discussing our options with the board, but I doubt they'll ever come to a mutual agreement," Natasha replied.

"Gotta love politics," Tony said.

"If I told you I knew of a possible mission for us, would you be on board?" Emery asked, looking at Natasha.

"Looks like Little Miss Perfect has a dark side," Tony said appreciatively. "What do you have in mind?"

Emery glared at him. "It involves tricking Fury, slipping past the guards, and stealing a jet. And we need to go now," she replied.

"Sounds fun," Tony said, smiling.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Steve asked. "I shouldn't have to remind any of you that Thanos is still on board. He could use our distraction as a chance to break free."

"We don't need a voice of reason," Tony said as he stood up. "We need a chance to stretch our legs."

"What are we even doing this for?" Clint asked. When Emery remained silent he stood up, looking around at all of them.

"No. I won't help save him. No," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Then stay here," Tony suggested. Clint glared at him, then turned and walked away. Natasha frowned, watching him go.

"Let me go grab our green friend and we'll meet you in the hangar bay," Tony said before leaving.

"What exactly is our plan?" Steve asked as they headed to the hangar bay. When they entered the large room, Natasha sprinted towards a jet, opening the rear hatch and quickly climbing inside. Emery and Steve hurried after her, and once they were in the cockpit she locked the door and fired up the engine.

"How long do we wait for those two?" she asked, glancing around. Soldiers and mechanics were watching them, most unsure of how to proceed, but once they realized it wasn't a sanctioned mission they'd be in trouble.

"Just a little longer," Emery replied, nervously watching for Tony and Bruce. If they didn't come they'd be two fighters down, and they wouldn't have the needed manpower.

At that moment Tony and Bruce raced into the hangar, followed by Thor, and spotting them in the jet, ran towards them. Natasha lowered the rear hatch, and they quickly climbed in, everyone sitting down as she began to take off.

"He overheard our conversation," Tony explained. Emery avoided making eye contact with her older brother, rather focusing on her seatbelt.

"Alright, so where are we going?" Bruce asked.

"London," Emery replied. She fought down the worry and nagging fear that it would take them too long to fly there, because she knew the alternative was watching her brother slowly die, which wasn't an option.

"London?" Natasha demanded, breaking the silence.

"There's a rare flower there, at the Duke of Devonshire's conservatory in Chiswick west London, that we need to help Loki," Emery replied. She felt Thor tense beside her, but ignored it. They had more pressing problems.

"Rogue bird, please return to hangar bay or risk being fired upon. You do not have the authority to take off," Agent Hill said over the jet's intercom. Natasha flipped the off switch.

"London it is," she said, opening up the throttle.

* * *

They landed on the grassy lawn next to the glass conservatory, everyone quickly disembarking.

"What are we looking for?" Steve asked, looking at Emery.

She pulled a slip of paper out of her her pocket. "It's called Middlemist Red," she replied, looking up at the group.

"How is a flower supposed to help Loki?" Steve asked, confused.

"I don't know!" Emery yelled, fighting back her anger and worry. They had a job to do. "All I know is the flower is somehow part of the cure for Loki."

"Then let's go find it," Thor said.

"Fury's going to kill us," Bruce said as they began walking towards the conservatory. There was no one in sight.

"How about some confidence, this is team building," Tony said. The door was unlocked, and they quietly slipped inside, looking around for any sign of life.

"Anyone else feel this is too easy?" Steve asked.

"Definitely a trap," Natasha said.

Suddenly several Chitauri walked around the corner, weapons aimed at them. "Split up!" Tony yelled as everyone dived for cover.

"Go get the flower, we'll hold them off!" Thor said to Emery, using Mjolnir to deflect a blast from a Chitauri gun.

Emery sprinted down a side aisle, heart pounding. They had to find the flower before anything happened to it, or any of the others. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she was responsible for someone getting hurt. She'd brought them along.

Her thoughts were stopped when a hand grabbed her shoulder. She whirled around, expecting to find herself face to face with a Chitauri, and was surprised when it was Steve.

"Figured you could use some help," he explained, and together they began hurrying back down the aisle, reading the plaques in front of each of the plants.

"There!" Steve shouted, pointing to a deep pink rose. There was a sudden explosion from behind them, but they were more focused on reaching the flower. Steve handed Emery a pair of shears, and she clipped off two blooms.

"Let's go get the others," Steve said, and together they hurried back to where they left the rest of the team.


	12. Chapter 12

"Fury's gonna kill us for this," Steve said, surveying the destroyed greenhouse and dead chitauri lying amidst the wreckage.

"Let's get out of here," Natasha said, looking around for Emery. She was crouching a few yards away, examining the flower.

"You okay?" Natasha asked as she walked over. Emery nodded, standing up.

"I don't know how this is supposed to help save him," she admitted.

"We'll figure it out," Natasha said, looping an arm around Emery's shoulders and steering her toward the others.

"That was actually kinda fun," Tony said as he sat down in the jet, the mask of his suit open.

"I enjoyed myself," Thor added.

"I'm more worried about the backlash," Bruce said.

Tony shrugged. "We'll say the Chitauri destroyed the place and we stopped them from endangering civilians. Fury can't be mad about that."

"If he's going to be mad at anyone it'll be me," Emery said.

"The joys of being part of a team means we stand together," Steve said.

* * *

"I don't even know where to begin!" Fury yelled. Emery, Thor, Steve, Natasha, Bruce and Tony stood in front of the director, prepared for their punishment.

"You steal a jet, dismantle the GPS, destroy a British monument and kill four Chitauri in the process. Am I missing anything?" Fury demand, pacing back and forth.

"We got the flower needed to treat Loki," Tony said. Fury stopped, turning to glare at him.

"Yes, you stole a flower that according to a war criminal will counteract some mysterious poison. Do you even know what to do with the flower?" Fury asked, looking at Emery.

"I'll make Thanos tell me," she replied. Fury stared hard at her for a moment before turning away.

"Fine. But make it short," he ordered. Emery nodded, hurrying from the room, the flower still clutched in her hand.

"Ah, I see you were successful," Thanos said when she entered the holding bay. He stood up, watching as she walked towards him.

"I got the flower, now tell me how to save Loki," Emery demanded, stopping a few feet away from the cell. Thanos smiled at her.

"The poison I used to coat my blade is very rare, much like the flower you're holding. But interestingly enough they both have something else in common," Thanos explained. "When used correctly, that particular flower can humanize an Asgardian. After all, it's what I used to create my poison."

Emery froze, her mind slowly processing what she had just been told.

"It was a trick," she said, looking up at Thanos in surprise.

"Of course it was. You really didn't expect me to simply offer up a cure in exchange for amnesty? On my home world they call me the mad titan. I don't negotiate," Thanos replied. He grinned, suddenly slamming his fist against the cell. Emery watched in horror as tiny cracks appeared in the glass, spider-webbing outward.

She turned and ran, racing as fast as she could down the corridor. There was an unmistakable crash from behind her but she kept going. She had to get to Loki, had to protect him. Nothing else mattered.

An alarm began to blare as she zipped around a corner and sprinted toward the med bay. She wrenched open the door to Loki's room, but was suddenly thrown backwards. Her head slammed into the wall and for a moment all she could do was lie there, fighting to stay conscious. She saw a pair of feet slowly walking towards her but there was nothing she could do. As they approached everything faded away.

Right before she slipped into unconscious she heard Thanos say, "Amazing how quickly you Asgardians fall. Especially when your father isn't here to protect you."

* * *

Slowly awakening from unconsciousness was becoming one of Emery's least favorite activities. It meant lots of confusion and a moment of panic as her brain struggled to understand what was going on around her.

The first thing she noticed was she was lying in someone's arms. Then she realized there was an alarm blaring which explained the ringing in her head, and someone barking orders.

Emery opened her eyes, surprised to see that it was Steve who was carrying her. Turning her head, she saw they were in the hangar bay walking towards one of the jets. She watched as officers rushed past, and nothing made sense to her muddled brain.

"Natasha and Clint are on their way," Bruce said, running up to them.

"What's...going on?" Emery asked. Steve looked down at her surprise.

"Evacuation," he replied, boarding the jet. He gently set her down in one of the seats then sat next to her. "Thanos crippled two of the engines."

"Where are the others?" Emery asked, trying to keep up with everything going on around her.

"Tony's helping keep the carrier airborn, Natasha and Clint are helping Fury," Bruce replied. Emery looked at Steve.

"Thor and Loki?" she asked.

Steve didn't meet her gaze. "When Thanos escaped he injured Thor and took Loki prisoner. We're attempting to track them."

Emery felt the air whoosh out of her lungs. Thor was hurt and Loki had been taken. Everything was falling apart, and it was all her fault.

Bruce picked up on her distress. "It's alright, I've been following Thanos' power signature and we're heading out to intercept him now."

"I need Thor," Emery said. Steve nodded, standing up and hurrying from the jet. Emery leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and holding her head in her hands. What was once just a misguided adventure on Midgard had quickly become much worse; Loki was hurt and in the hands of a madman, Thor was injured, and all because of her. If she had just stayed in Asgard none of this would've happened. She had to make things right.

Steve returned a few moments later supporting Thor, Natasha helping get him onto the jet before following Clint to the cockpit.

"Are you alright?" Emery asked as Steve helped ease Thor down into the seat next to Emery.

"Just a little bruised," Thor replied, taking her hand in his. "Nothing serious."

Emery nodded, unable to believe their luck. Thor leaned his head back and closed his eyes, wrapping an arm protectively around Emery. She noticed him wince at the movement.

"You promise you're not hurt?" she asked, watching him. Thor smiled.

"You always were very perceptive," he replied.

Emery sighed. "I take that as a no."

Thor looked at her. "I promise my injuries aren't enough to stop me from rescuing Loki and killing Thanos. That's all that matters right now." Emery nodded. She rested her head on his shoulder, letting her eyes slide closed.

"She's exhausted from all this fighting," she heard Steve say.

"Once we save Loki I'm taking them both home," Thor said, his voice rumbling in her ear.

"If Fury lets you," Bruce said.

"I'd like to see him try to stop me," Thor replied.

"Everyone's clear Tony," Natasha said. Emery listened as the radio crackled to life.

"Good, I can't keep this up much longer. Mind giving me a lift?" Tony asked.

"No problem," Natasha replied. There was a sudden gust of wind then a crash as Tony boarded their jet.

"Glad to see you up and about," Tony said.

"I couldn't let you have all the fun," Thor replied.

"How's the pipsqueak?" Tony asked.

"Alive," Thor replied, tightening his arm around Emery's shoulder. She let her body relax, drifting into sleep. She was safe, with her brother and his team, and on their way to rescue Loki. It could be a lot worse.


	13. Chapter 13

**[A/N: This story seriously has a mind of its own! Hope everyone has enjoyed the journey as much as I have :)]**

"What's our plan exactly?" Clint asked as he landed the jet, turning his chair to look at the rest of the team.

"I vote we attack before he notices we're here, if he hasn't already," Thor replied, looking out the window. They were at the edge of a large landfill, having followed Bruce's coordinates.

"You're in no shape to be fighting," Emery argued.

Steve nodded. "I agree with her, you might be Asgardian but you're injured. It's best if you stay here."

"If you think I'm going to simply sit here and wait then you're wrong," Thor said. "I have to help save Loki."

"Yah, wouldn't want him to get hurt," Clint sneered.

"Clint..." Natasha warned.

"No!" He shouted, glaring at her. "That psycho nearly killed us a few months ago, but now we're rescuing him? Doesn't anyone else see how stupid this?"

"I don't think its our job to judge Loki," Bruce replied. "Everyone's made mistakes."

"None of us have tried to take over a world," Clint argued.

"Will you shut up?!" Emery shouted, jumping to her feet. "Just shut up! You don't know Loki, you don't know what he's been through! If I hear one more word out of your mouth about my brother it'll be your last!"

The team was quiet. Emery watched Clint, her eyes daring him to make a move, but he simple turned back around and glared out the windshield. Slowly she relaxed, sitting back down beside Thor.

"Well that was extremely frightening," Tony said. Emery looked at him, and he quickly occupied himself with adjusting his suit.

"Um...not to interrupt this awkward silence, but what is our plan?" Bruce asked.

"Rescue Loki, kill Thanos," Emery replied, standing back up. She looked at Thor. "You coming?"

Thor smiled, standing up. "Let's do this."

"Seriously, does Thanos not like normal places? First a quarry, now this?" Tony asked. They were standing at the edge of the large landfill, no sign of the warlord or Loki.

"He probably went to higher ground," Natasha said, looking at the only building for miles around. The three story structure was sitting right in the center of the landfill with a clear view of everything surrounding it.

"If he's in there then he already spotted us," Clint said.

"Split up, Nat, Clint and Bruce go around the far side and look for any entrances, Emery, Thor and I will take this side. Tony attack from above," Steve said.

"Aye aye captain," Tony said, saluting Steve before blasting off. Clint, Bruce and Natasha began hurrying towards the building, Steve, Emery and Thor following.

"I don't like this place," Emery said, looking up at the building as they approached. It was old, fading paint peeling off the walls and shattered windows dominating most of the first two stories.

"Looks perfect for Thanos," Thor said.

Suddenly there was a deep rumble. The ground began to shake, and everyone looked around wildly for the source.

Then, just as quickly as it had started, the commotion stopped. Emery tensed, trying to be prepared for whatever might happen next.

"We have a problem," Bruce said. Emery looked over at him, shocked to see a Chitauri soldier holding a blaster pointed at his face. As she looked around more closely, she realized they were completely surrounded.

"It's a trap," she said.


End file.
